Embalming-board.



K. A. DOLGE. EMBALMING BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 2.1917 1L,353,6?8n Patented Jun. 15, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

K. A. DOLGE. EMBALMING BOARD. APPLICATION man JAN. 2. 917. V 1 %,,673, Patented Jan.10,1918.

3 SHEETS*SHEET 2.

K. A. DOLGE. EMBALMING BOARD. APPLICATION FILED JAN.2,1917.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3 all tilt) A. DOLGE, OF WESTPOBT, CONNECTICUT.

nMnALMIne-Bolinn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 315, this.

Application filed January 2, 1917. Serial No. 140,194.

To all whom it may concern:

dBe it known that I, KARL A. Down, a c1t1zen of the United States, residing at Westport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Embalming-Boards, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to embahning boards such as are adapted to be folded into small compass and conveniently carried after the manner of a suit case.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision in an embalming board, of the type named, of simple, strong and safe means for contributing to the compactness of the board when folded, to the facility with which the board may be set up ready for use, and to the safety and strength of the board in use; the latter being an important desideratum in the art inasmuch as many bodies are very heavy, and it is highly important that gruesome accidents be avoided.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an embahning board in which the sections of the top or board-proper are so constructed and relatively arranged that said top or board is adapted to be adjusted to excellent advantage for the positioning of a corpse during the embalming operation, and is also adapted, when folded, to inclose the other elements of the board in a neat and finished manner.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the embalming board constituting the present and preferred embodiment of my invention as the same appears when set up ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in the same plane as Fig. 8 and showing the positions in which the upright transverse supports are placed precedent to swinging them in the directions 1ndicated by arrow into positions within the end top sections.

Figs. 5 to 11 are detail views hereinafter specifically referred to; Fig. ll being taken in theplane indicated by the line 11-41 of Fig. 8, looking in the direction indicated by arrow.

Fig. 12 is a perspective showing the embalmlng board in a folded state and as it appears when incased for convenient handling.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

1 is the intermediate top section of the embalming board, and 2, 2, are the side flanges provided at the underside of the top section and fixed thereto. These parts are preferably of wood as are also the end pieces 3, interposed between and fixed to the flanges 2.

Arranged to be alined with the intermediate top section 1 are end top sections 4 which are smaller in area than the section 1, in about the proportion illustrated, and have side flanges 5 fixed to their under sides and also have end pieces 6 interposed between and fixed to the side flanges. The top sections 4 and their side flanges 5 and end pieces are also preferably of wood, and hinged at 6 to the top sections 4 are auxiliary head-rest sections 7 which are adjustable from the positions shown in Fig. 4 to the positions shown in Fig. 3, and vice versa, and are adapted to be adjustably fixed in the latter positions or other raised positions through the medium of slotted metallic straps 8, pivoted to the sections 7 and receiving in their slots studs 9 on the side flanges 5 and having seats 10 at interme diate points in their lengths adapted to receive the said studs 9. Manifestly when the sections 7 are flush with the sections 4, Fig. 4, the straps 8 rest as shown against the inner sides of the side flanges 5 of the end top sections. When, however, it is desirable to elevate either end of a corpse, as frequently happens in the embalming operation, the same may be readily accomplished by rais- .ing the sections 7 to the extent deemed necessary and adjustably fixing said sections above the flanges 5.

One end section 4 of the top is connected through large hinges 11 with the adjacent end of the intermediate top section 1, and the other end top section 4 is connected through comparatively small hinges 12 with the opposite end of said intermediate section 1; the employment of hinges of diflerent sizes being resorted to in order that the end section 4 adjacent to the hinges 12 may he lilttl folded directly against the section 1, while the other end section a may be folded against the first-named section 1, all as appears in Fig. 6.

On the inner side of each of its side flanges 2, the intermediate top section 1 is provided with pivotally connected metallic straps 13 which are provided adjacent to their free ends with notches 14, Fig. 4:. It .Will also be noted that each side flange 5 of each end top section a has a pivotally connected metallic strap 15 at its inner side, in which strap near the free end thereof is a notch 16. All of the straps 13 and 15 are nested in their sections when the board is to be folded. See Fig. 4.

Fixed on the inner side of each side flange 5 of each end top section 4: is a metallic member 20 which is arranged adjacent to the inner end of the section. Each of the said metallic members 20 has a portion 21 arranged in spaced relation to the adjacent flange 5, Fig. 11, and in said portion 21 is alongitudinal slot 22, while on the side of the portion 21 toward the longitudinal center of the board is an integral keeper lug 23, the said keeper lug being arranged above the outer end of the slot 22, as shown. 7 It will be gathered from the foregoing that there are four metallic members 20 employed, two to each end top sectionel.

Complementary to each of the end top sections 4 is an upright transverse support 30. These supports, in the present and preferred embodi-mentof the invention, respectively comprise spaced metallic legs 31 having pads or cushions 82 at their lower ends, crossed. metallicbraces 33 connected together where they intersect each other and interposed between and connected to the legs 31, and an upper transverse rod 3 1 which extends between and transversely through the upper portions of the legs 31 and has trunnion portions 35, Fig. 11, disposed and movable in the sl ots 22 of a pair of metallic members 20, and-also has its ends threaded to receive nuts 36 through the medium of which said ends are held in proper working position to the members 20. It will be noticed in this connection that the nuts 36 are freely movable in the spaces between the member portions 21and the side flanges 5 of the end top sections 4. F iXed to the outer sideof each leg 31 and extending above the upper end of the leg is a tongue-like projection 4E0 which is adapted to be placed behind the adjacent keeper lug to detachably fasten the supports 30 in upright position, Fig. 3, and thereby contribute to the safety and strength of the embalming board when set up ready for use, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Extending laterally from each leg- 31 is a stud 50 which is fpreferably headed and is designed for the detachable connection of one brace strap 13 and one brace strap 15. This completes the structure of my novel embalming board.

In Figs. 1 and 3, the board is shown set up ready for use, and with its supports 30 fastened against casual swinging movement on the end top sections by the cooperation of the projections 40 with the keeper-lugs 23, and braced by the connection of the stra s 13 and 15 with the legs of thesupports. n this state, the embalniing board is rigid and strong, and there is absolutely no liability of any folding; or flexing taking place no matter how great the weight of the body imposed on the board or the manner in which the body manipulated incidental to the embalming operation. It will also be appr ciated that the board is calculated to maintain a body in convenient position for the embalming operator, and that when properly covered the board is adapted to form a finished couch for the corpse.

When it is desired to fold the board, the straps 18 and 15 are disengaged from the studs 50 on the supports 30, and are swung to the positions shown in Fig. at. The projections 10 on the supports are then, by manipulation of the supports, disengaged from the keeper-lugs 23, and the supports are adjusted to position the trunnion-portions 35 of the rods 3-1- in the inner end portions of the slots 22. This obviously will permit of the supports 30 being swung to positions where they are entirely between the side flanges 5 of their respective end top sections at, as shown in Fig. 5. The section 4 that is connected by the comparatively small hinges 12 is then swung against and in parallel relation to the intermediate top section 1, as also shown in Fig. 5, after which the other top end section at is swung against and in parallel relation to the first-named top section, as shown in Fig. 6, with the result that the embalmin'g board is reduced to a package of small compass. Figs. 9 and 10 bring out clearly the manner in which the supports 30 are manipulated to engage the pro jections 40 with and disengage the same from their complementary keeper-lugs 23.

On the outer side of one side flange 5 of the end, top section 4: that is connected through the hinges 12 with the intermediate top section. 1 is a strap handle 60, Figs. 1,

2 and 12, by which the folded board may usaaeve Figs. 1 to 3; the detailed operation being the reverse of that before described with reference to the folding of the board. It Will be manifest that when the board is extended, the supports are adapted to slide outwardly toward the ends of the board for giving proper support to the board, and for convenience in folding the supports are adapted to slide back so that the legs fold inside the end top sections thus rendering the fold compact; also, that when positioned near the ends of the board the legs .are detachably fastened and safely fastened in the upright position. It will be further appreciated that without the sliding capacity, the legs could not be constructed so as to be detachably engaged and fastened near the ends of the board and at the same time be capable of folding inside the framei. 6., the top sections.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an embalming board, the combination of a top section having flanges at its underside, metallic members fixed to the inner sides of said flanges and spaced throughout a portion of their length from the flanges and having horizontal slots in their spaced portions and also having keeper-lugs .arranged above the outer ends of the slots, a support for the top section having ahorizontal rod and trunnion portions thereon disposed and movable in the slots of the metallic members, nuts secured on the rod ends and movable between the flanges and the metallic members, and

tongue-like projections fixed to and extending above the upper ends of the support and adapted to be placed behind the keeper lugs on the metallic members to detachably fasten the support in upright position.

2. In an embalming board, the combina tion of a top section having a depending portion, a metallic member fixed to said portion and spaced throughout a portion of its length therefrom and having a horizontal slot in its spaced portion and also having a keeper lug arranged above one end of the slot, a foldable leg having a trunnion portion disposed and movable in the slot of the metallic member and secured by means movable in the space, and a tongue-like projection fixed to and extending above the leg and adapted to be placed behind the keeper lug on the metallic member to detachably fasten the support in upright position.

3. In an embalming board the combination of a top section having a depending portion, a metallic member fixed to said portion and having a horizontal slot and a fixed keeper-lug disposed above one end of said slot, and a leg having a trunnion movable in the slot and also having a tonguelike projection extending above its upper end and adapted when the leg is in upright position to be placed behind and in lapped relation to the fixed keeper lug.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. F. HENDRICKS, CLIrronn L. TALBOT.

tlopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Eetents,

Washington, D. G. 

